Endowments & Investing
2015 Year in Review
Friends and Colleagues,
Last December, I spoke of 2014 as a Year of Action, and it was! We began putting into place the programs, services, and staff we knew would provide value to our members. In 2015, we’ve begun to see these foundational investments pay off, and I hope you’ve begun to see how…
Effective and Emerging Approaches to Mission-Related Investing
Fundamentals
Many foundation staff members remain mystified (and enamored) with mission investing and the promise it holds for leveraging foundation resources to support their missions. However, it is clear that many foundations do not fully understand the full complement of mission investing strategies and how…
Impact Investing: The Essentials
Impact Investing: The Essentials
For decades, foundations have made impact investments to complement grants, partnerships, advocacy, and other tools in the philanthropic toolbox. But how do you start your foundation down a path to use this emerging tactic? Incorporating impact investing into your…
Washington Snapshot - October 16, 2015
Due to the Columbus Day holiday and this week’s Congressional recess, today’s edition of Washington Snapshot will be slightly abbreviated.
News from the Hill
Upcoming Philanthropy Caucus Briefing
As our readers know, the Council on Foundations has been very active in reviving the Philanthropy…
The MRI Guidance is a Really Big Deal
A Note for Community Foundations
The IRS guidance in question refers to section 4944 of the Internal Revenue Code, which regulates jeopardizing investments made by private foundations. The section—and therefore the guidance—only pertains to private foundations. However there is no equivalent…
Impact Investing and Private Foundations: New Guidance from the IRS and its Implications for the Field
Join Mission Investors Exchange and the Council on Foundations for a one-hour webinar discussing the implications of the new U.S. Department of Treasury guidance on mission-related investments.
If you have questions about the legal implications of this guidance on your foundation,…
Washington Snapshot - September 18, 2015
Executive & Regulatory News
New Guidance on Mission-Related Investing
This week, the Treasury Department released long-awaited guidance on mission-related investments (MRIs), which the Council requested this year in our 2015-16 Treasury Priority Guidance Plan comments. The Council, along with…
New Guidance on Mission-Related Investing
This week, the Treasury Department released long-awaited guidance on mission-related investments (MRIs), which the Council requested this year in our 2015-16 Treasury Priority Guidance Plan comments. The Council, along with the Council of Michigan Foundations and Mission Investors Exchange,…
A Short Guide to Impact Investing - The Case Foundation
External Resource
This guide is intended to help bring newcomers into the game. It helps high net worth individuals, family offices, and others to know some of the questions, if not the answers, to determine what’s right for them and what to do next to move toward meaningful, measurable impact.
Everything You Need to Know About Impact Investing (in 1 Hour!)
Download the Presentation Slides
It seems like everyone is talking about impact investing these days… but is it right for you and your organization? In this webinar experts will elaborate upon what it is, how to decide if it’s right for your organization and explore some of the the…
Council on Foundations-Commonfund Study Reports Lower Foundation Returns Compared with Previous Year, While Mission-Related Spending Remains Steady
Data gathered from 244 private and community foundations participating in the 2014 Council on Foundations–Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community FoundationsTM (CCSF) show that the 142 private foundations participating in the study reported an average return of 6.1…
Go Small or Go Home: Building an Impact Investing Program
Ask the Expert!
Want to learn more about Impact Investing? Join us for webinar discussion, Impact Investing and Community Foundations: The Nuts and Bolts. Trisha will join her colleagues Kelly Ryan (Incourage Community Foundation) and Lisa Richter (Avivar Capital) to talk you through the steps…
Funding the Different and Making the Difference: Notes from #SIS15
Can business acumen help overcome social challenges? Can entrepreneurial zeal generate innovative solutions? Can the energy of a new generation be harnessed to lead us forward on pressing causes? These were some of the questions addressed at the 2015 Social Innovation Summit.
The assembled…
Why Long Term, Strategic Philanthropy Matters
In late May I attended a meeting in Atlanta focused on impact investing hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Southeastern Council of Foundations (SECF) and the Council on Foundations (Council) about impact investing. The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s collaboration with the…
Announcing Canopy: A New Model for Place-Based Investing
While the globalization of markets has dispersed investments around the world, we’ve hatched a plan to bring capital back to our communities in a transparent, coordinated, and collaborative way. I’m excited to announce Canopy, an innovative, member-owned, for-benefit company designed to advance…
Due Diligence that’s Built for Scale
The Social Impact Exchange exists to build a growth capital marketplace that supports scaling high-impact nonprofits in the U.S. Funders with shared interests convene in working groups (currently active in health and education) to identify and vet highly effective nonprofit initiatives primed…